A working group of the Member Engagement and Outreach Committee will host the ninth annual ARLIES Film Festival, on Wednesday, May 8, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. EDT at the Harvard Film Archive during the 184th Spring Association Meeting in Boston, Massachusetts.  The film festival highlights and shares multimedia products developed by member institutions to increase knowledge and use of libraries, their spaces, services, collections, and expertise.

• We encourage submissions that reflect diversity of the student population
• Submissions are limited to ARL member libraries

View the 2024 submissions on the ARLIES Submissions page (link opens in a new window).

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: Monday, April 1, 2024

1. Films produced prior to 01/01/2022 are not eligible for consideration for the 2024 festival.
    
2. An institution may submit only one film to the ARLIES Festival.
    
3. Films can be either scripted or improvisational, animated or not.
    
4. Films viewed at a previous ARLIES are not eligible for consideration for the 2024 festival.
    
5. The official ARLIES submission form (linked below) must be completed to enter. 
    
6. Entries must fall into one of the submission categories, and a film may be submitted in up to two categories.
    
7. Entries must not exceed a total running time of three minutes each, including credits. If entries exceed the three minute maximum, then only three minutes of the film will be shown during the Festival. Films will be shown from the beginning, unless otherwise specified in the submission form to show a specific start and stop time. 
    
8. An attachment of the film video file must be uploaded during the submission process, as well as the member institution’s link to the video for long-term viewing and posting on the ARL website. 

• How-To/Instruction Films: In order to qualify for this category, the submitted project must be created for use in a classroom or online course or as an instructional video to learn a new skill (e.g., How to Use Endnote).
   
• Development/Fund-Raising Films: In order to qualify for this category, the submitted project must be intended to raise funds or attract potential donors to the library. A specific goal must be included (e.g., $10,000 or securing the names of at least 20 new friends for the library).
   
• Collections-Focused Films: In order to qualify for this category, the submitted project must highlight book(s), document(s), photograph(s), sound recording(s), collection(s) or other item(s) from the library’s holdings.
   
• Publicity/Marketing Films: In order to qualify for this category, the submitted project must be intended to promote knowledge of and appreciation for the library, services, spaces, or expertise to a particular audience.
   
• Research Films: In order to qualify for this category, the submitted project must highlight a service that supports the research mission of the library.
   
• Free-Form Films: Other than meeting submission requirements, there are no rules for submitting in this category, either because the project does not fit into any of the other categories or defies categorization altogether.

• Best of each Submission Category
• Best Reflection of Diversity
• Best Performance
• Best Production
• Best Humor
• Best Picture

An ARLIES Film Festival Finalist is defined as an entry that satisfies all entry rules and is shown during the festival. If the festival is held synchronously, there may be a limit to the number of films that can be shown in the time allotted for the festival. In the event of more qualified entries than available showing slots in the festival, the Working Group shall determine a method by which Film Festival Finalists are chosen. 

The winner in each award category is determined by a majority vote of member representatives that submit an ARLIES Film Festival ballot. Each member institution receives one ballot.